The Less I Know
by Ochiphius
Summary: It is a universally accepted fact that dying sucks. Dying again after being reborn sucks even more. Being reborn into a fictional universe where you can die a third time sucks the most. A story in which everything sucks and the main character can't feel pain. It's a train wreck waiting to happen. Pre-Canon SI/OC
1. Chapter 1

Day One

My name is Kushinada Sayaka.

It wasn't always Kushinada Sayaka.

I became Kushinada Sayaka after I died of appendicitis in the middle of my medical exam and was reborn sometime during Japan's Feudal era. I was glad that I took Japanese in college. It was a shame that despite knowing the language fluently, I was an infant and therefore _couldn't do shit._

Also, no running water.

Lucky me.

* * *

Day Six

I lived with my mother and twelve other girls in a Shrine to the Shinto god, Inari.

Life, as far as I was concerned, was good.

Now, if only I could get that creepy old lady to stop looking at me.

* * *

Day Twenty-four

My mother sang me a song about cherry blossoms.

It was nice.

* * *

Month One, Day Eight

The creepy old lady was a ghost.

My first clue was the fact that nobody seemed to notice her presence. Then I saw her walk through a wall.

My name is Kushinada Sayaka, and I can see dead people.

* * *

Month One, Day Twelve

I attempted to communicate with the old lady ghost.

Then I remembered that I was a month old and stopped before I could embarrass myself.

The old lady looked at me looking at her and smiled.

And then she disappeared with a flash of light.

* * *

Month One, Day Thirteen

I'm still not sure what happened.

* * *

Month Three, Day Twenty-seven

My mother is the head shrine maiden. Her protégé is a thirteen-year-old girl named Sakamoto Iroha. Iroha has a bubbly, happy-go-lucky personality. She also has green hair.

Iroha was the one to point out the fact that my teeth were coming in and that it was a wonder that I wasn't screaming bloody murder.

This confused me. Wasn't teething supposed to hurt like hell?

I shrugged off my confusion, going back to innocent baby mode.

* * *

Year One, Month Two, Day Seven

I tried to walk. I failed.

I ended up with a giant cut on my knee that I didn't notice until my mother pointed it out.

* * *

Year One, Month Two, Day Eight

Congenital insensitivity to pain is literally exactly what it sounds like: the inability to feel pain.

Unfortunately, I was reborn with it.

Allow me to put into context how bad the disease is.

I could touch a pot that had just been on the fire and get second to third-degree burns without noticing.

I could break a bone and not notice until it gets infected and kills me.

I had my suspicions that I had it. I confirmed said suspicions by banging my head against a tree repeatedly, crying because I couldn't feel it.

My mother found me an hour later, my head bruised and bloody and tears streaming down my face. She didn't ask what happened, and for that I was glad. She merely took me in her arms and sang the cherry blossom song until I stopped crying and fell asleep.

* * *

Year One, Month Nine, Day Two

My hair began growing in. My mother put me in front of a mirror so that I could see what I looked like.

I looked like your average Asian toddler.

Except I had purple hair.

What.

* * *

Year Four, Month Five, Day Nineteen

I saw a monster with a mask just outside the shrine gates.

My first though was, _The fuck kind of world is this?_ Then I saw the hole in the monster's torso and then everything clicked.

 _Ah. That's a hollow. I must be in Bleach._ That _would_ explain the old lady ghost I saw when I was younger, and it would explain the wacky hair color. I was surprised by how calm I was about the whole realization that I was in an anime.

"Sayaka-chan!" Iroha's voice drew me from my thoughts. "Your mother wants to speak with you!"

I turned toward the sound of her voice, "Coming, nee-san!" Before I left, I turned to look at the hollow again, only to see it was gone. In its place was an old, bearded man wearing all black with a white _haori_ over his shoulders. He had a sword.

"Sayaka-chan!" Iroha called again.

I sighed. A hollow _and_ a Shinigami in one day?

I had a _really_ bad feeling.

Year Four, Month Five, Day Twenty

My mother offered to train me as a shrine maiden.

I accepted, because what else what I going to do?

And maybe I watched a bit too much InuYasha in my old life.

* * *

Year Six, Month Three, Day Seventeen

"The birds are quiet today," my mother said softly, pausing in the middle of her calligraphy. "Something terrible is going to happen."

I hummed, concentrating on my own calligraphy.

A few days later, word came that a nearby village was burned to the ground.

* * *

Year Seven, Month Twelve, Day Twenty-nine

With just a few more days until the New Year's celebration, the shrine was absolutely chaotic, what with the decorations, the cleaning, and general maintenance. I took advantage of the quiet that came with the nighttime to take a peaceful walk, and maybe put down some more purification seals while I was at it.

For the first twenty minutes or so, everything was great. While chilly, it truly was a beautiful night. Without all the city lights and pollution of the twenty-first century, I could see every star in the sky.

I _did_ put down a few purification seals where I felt particularly negative energy, but mostly, I just walked.

Just when I was about to head back to bed, I caught the flickering glow of a fire out of the corner of my eye.

 _That's weird_ , I thought. _I was_ sure _I put out all the fires._

Cautiously, I approached the source of the glow, making sure to take small, light steps, so as to not make any noise.

And I came face-to-face with an old man holding a ball of fire between his hands. This wasn't just any old man; this was the same old man I saw three years ago at the gate of the shrine. The sword on the ground next to him, which further proved my point.

However, as astonished as I was at the fact that there was a _Shinigami_ right in front of me, the old man wasn't supposed to be at the shrine.

The problem was, I didn't know what to say. _Hey, I know you're supposed to be invisible and all, but you really aren't allowed to be here. Please don't murder me to death with your zanpakutou._

So I sat down on the ground right in front of the Shinigami and waited until he noticed me.

After about five minutes of me not being noticed, I tapped into my inner seven-year-old.

And I tugged the man's beard. Hard.

He let out an undignified mixture between a grunt and a squeal. It took two lifetimes worth of self-control to not burst out laughing.

"I thought you were dead, oya-jii. Also, your hands were on fire. You should get that checked out," I babbled aimlessly. _Pleasedontkillme._

The old Shinigami cleared his throat. "All is well, child. I was merely surprised."

"Really?" I blinked innocently. If I wanted to talk to this guy, I needed to act like a regular kid. "I was sitting in front of you for a while, and you didn't notice me."

He blinked. "I see. I apologize for worrying you."

I shrugged. "It's alright. I just had to wake you up 'cause you're not supposed to be here." I paused. "Hey, oya-jii. What's your name? I can't keep calling you oya-jii, can I?" _Good_ , I thought to myself. _Jumping from one subject to another._

The man looked amused. "Isn't it common courtesy to give your name before asking another's first?"

I cursed myself inwardly for forgetting about manners. I bowed slightly at the waist. "My name is Kushinada Sayaka. Nice to meet you!"

The old man bowed as well. "I am Yamamoto Genryūsai. It is nice to meet you too, Kushinada-kun."

 _Yamamoto…Genryūsai…?_

I took in the man's appearance, along with the zanpakutou on the ground.

 _Right. This is Bleach,_ was my first thought.

My second thought was, _Holy shit I just tugged on Yamamoto Genryūsai's beard_.

And then I passed out, because the shock was too much for me.

* * *

Year Seven, Month Twelve, Day Thirty

I woke up the following morning in the room I shared with Iroha and Yayoi.

I would have believed that the encounter was a dream, had it not been for the burn that lined my left arm. I wouldn't have noticed that it was there had it not been for Yayoi screaming for my mother upon seeing me.

I would have a nasty scar once the wound healed. Throughout the whole process of being bandaged, my mother sang the cherry blossom song to calm me down.

* * *

Year Seven, Month Twelve, Day Thirty-one

During the chaos that was the New Year's festival, I spotted Yamamoto near the gates of the shrine. He appeared to be looking for something.

I guessed that that thing was me.

So I turned around and walked the opposite direction. Yeah, I could see ghosts and hollows and Shinigami, but like hell I was getting caught up in all of it.

* * *

Year Ten, Month Eleven, Day Eight

I didn't see Yamamoto again after that and frankly, I was perfectly fine with it. Last thing I needed was to run into the Soutaicho of the Gotei 13 after I _tugged his beard._

The mood was heavy at the shrine lately. I often overheard the words _Oda_ and _Nobunaga_ in the same sentence in that particular order.

The territory the shrine was located in was relatively neutral. However, there were rumors that Nobunaga wanted to take it over.

Naturally, we were scared.

And we had every right to be.

* * *

Year Thirteen, Month Seven, Day Thirty

It started like any other day.

It was nice out; not too warm, not too cold. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Iroha and I were sent to town to buy "the essentials" as she put it: food, cloth, thread, ink, paper, and brushes.

Iroha suggested that we split up to make the trip faster. "Then we'll meet at the noodle stand at noon, alright?"

I rolled my eyes because I knew Iroha had a crush on the boy that worked there, but agreed regardless. She handed me half of the money we were given for the errand and we went separate ways. I finished my shopping relatively quickly, as everything I needed was in one stand. To kill time, I decided to walk around. My mother's birthday was coming up. While we never really did anything to celebrate birthdays, I always made sure to do something special for her. I stopped at a stall selling hairpins despite knowing I could never afford any of them. I picked up a simple jade hairpin and held it up to the sun to admire it. The old lady in charge of the stand smiled at me. "Not many people bother to look at that one. It's quite beautiful despite its simplicity, no?"

"Ah, it really is," I said. "My mother would love it. She can always see the beauty in simplicity." I went to put the hairpin back, but the old lady grabbed my wrist.

"Take it," she said with a strange look in her eyes. "It will help you in your future." I opened my mouth to protest, but she shook her head and closed my fingers around the hairpin. "Please."

Wordlessly, I nodded and put the hairpin in my sleeve. "Thank you," I said with a bow.

I heard the screams before anything else. Then the old lady had an arrow sticking out of her chest. A scream left my mouth before I knew it and I ran.

But I didn't run to the safety of the shrine. _WHYWHYWHYWHY_ my mind screamed. I ran to find Iroha. I didn't know what was going on, but my best guess was that one of the feudal lords decided to claim the village. This guess was verified by the samurai who were fighting with the ronin who occupied the village.

"IROHA NEE-SAN!" I shouted. I saw Iroha running toward me, and relief washed over me. "Iroha, I'm so glad-"

"We need to leave, Sayaka. We need to go to the shrine," Iroha said desperately once she reached me. There was blood on her face.

"Iroha nee-san what happened?" I asked.

She ignored me and grabbed my wrist before running toward the shrine. As we ran, I saw burning buildings and the corpses of ronin, samurai, and civilians. There was no way this was a feudal lord attack. It was too brutal. There was no honor in it. These were men who didn't fear the wrath of gods.

Iroha and I arrived at the shrine out of breath. We saw Yayoi standing in the center of the courtyard.

"Yayoi!" Iroha exclaimed. We ran toward her. Yayoi was covered in blood and she was crying. "Yayoi, what happened?"

"They're monsters. They said they're going to kill us all!" she sobbed, collapsing to her knees. "What have we done? Why has Inari-dono forsaken us?"

I felt my heart clench at the thought of my sisters being slaughtered. I gritted my teeth. "Where is my mother?"

Iroha looked at me, her face pale. "Sayaka-chan. Whatever you're thinking-"

"Yayoi," I put my hands on her shoulders. "Tell me where my mother is."

"They-they're all at the pond," Yayoi stammered. "Sayaka-chan, please don't do anything rash."

I barely registered anything else. I ran to the pond. The only thing on my mind was saving my family.

Upon reaching the pond, I saw the shrine maidens herded together, a samurai pointing his sword at them. My mother was tied to a tree with numerous lashes decorating her bare back. Another samurai was standing to the side of her with a whip in hand. Each time he brought the whip down, the shrine maidens let out cries, and the other samurai laughed. My mother was silent, save for the number she said each time she was hit.

"KA-CHAN!" I screamed. The samurai stopped laughing upon hearing my cry, and my mother's eyes widened. I ran toward them, only to be struck by the flat of a blade hitting my stomach. It didn't hurt, but the force of the blow made me fall.

"Now what do we have here?" the samurai with the whip said. He grabbed my hair and lifted me up. I glared at him, which caused him to laugh. "I've gotta say, most girls would be crying by now. This bitch has a backbone, eh?" he said to the other samurai, who laughed in response.

"You fucking coward," I spat. "Killing innocent people. Torturing women. What's the honor in that? What are you doing to her?"

The samurai dropped me. "We just made a simple deal with your dear mother. 500 lashes without screaming or passing out and we'll leave the village!"

500 lashes? I stared at my mother, who was looking at me with pain in her eyes. Nobody could go through 500 lashes without passing out. Nobody except for me…

"I'll take her place." I said automatically.

"Sayaka no!" my mother cried. "Please leave her alone!"

The samurai stroked his beard. "Tempting offer. But you did hurt my feelings by calling me a coward. You'll have to do better than that." He unsheathed his tanto and dropped it at my feet. "If you perform seppuku right here, right now, I'll leave this village forever." He finished with a grin that made me want to punch him in the face.

My heart was beating loudly in my chest and blood rushed in my ears as I stared at the blade in front of me. I took one look at my mother and my sisters and grabbed the tanto.

"Sayaka?" my mother said. "What are you doing?"

I had studied Japanese culture in college, so I knew the process of seppuku pretty well. I also knew that cutting one's stomach open was extremely painful. Luckily, I wouldn't have to deal with that. At least that was my only solace.

I plunged the tanto into my abdomen. The grin on the samurai's face fell. "H-hey, what are you-"

The screams from my mother and sisters were faint as I cut from left to right. I did so with a blank expression, staring into the eyes of the samurai, who had dropped the whip in shock. Once I had completely cut through my abdomen I threw the tanto in the pond and spit at his feet.

"Tell the men to retreat," he said to the samurai pointing a sword at the shrine maidens (although he was gaping at me like a dying fish at this point but I digress).

My vision was starting to fade and I felt very cold. I closed my eyes. _Well, it looks like I'm dying again. You fucking idiot._ I felt myself being held in someone's arms and I opened my eyes to see that my mother was holding me, tears streaming down her face. "Sayaka… My baby…"

"Don't worry," I said weakly, "It's just a scratch."

She laughed between sobs. "Only you would joke about something like this." She caressed my cheek with one of her hands. "Why?"

"One life lost is nothing compared to the lives of many," I said. It was getting hard to breathe, and I couldn't see anything at this point. "Ka-chan…Can you sing the song? The cherry blossom song?"

And she sang. She sang for me until I could hear no more and my heart stopped.

* * *

Day One

I opened my eyes in front of an unfamiliar shrine. I looked around. I seemed to be in a really crappy town. I was dressed in my normal shrine maiden attire, but I had no shoes. I was confused, as I was pretty sure I had just died.

Wait.

I'm in Bleach.

"Fuck."

* * *

 **So this is my new story! It's a Bleach semi-SI-OC (obviously) and shit just went down amirite?**

 **I dunno how often this thing will be updated, but hopefully I won't lose inspiration for it.**

 **Also please pardon any historical inaccuracies because unlike Sayaka I have not studied Japanese history.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review with feedback/suggestions/things that are historically inaccurate and should be fixed!**


	2. Chapter 2

It took me five minutes to gather exactly _where_ I had ended up. According to a passerby, I was in Inuzuri, the 78th Rukongai district. It was then that I realized I was screwed, as Inuzuri was one of the crappier districts in Rukongai. My realization was confirmed when I witnessed seven people getting pickpocketed, two fistfights, and three all-out brawls within thirty minutes of my arrival. I quickly retreated to the shrine I woke up at. My rationalization was that nobody would mess with anybody on the turf of a god. I winced, remembering my death at Inari's shrine. Maybe that wasn't _completely_ sound logic, but it was better than no shelter at all.

The shrine was a mess, which irritated me. In my first life, I was quite a slob. Years of working at a shrine erased that part of me. I decided then and there that I would take charge of this shrine, because what else could I do? Other than first aid and basic medical training I had nothing else to offer. Not even fourteen years of kendo would do me any good, especially since I was thirteen years out of practice. My best chance at survival was to take advantage of the memories I had retained from both lifetimes.

Before officially taking residence at the shrine, I had to pray to the god it was dedicated to in order to gain his/her permission. There were repeated kanji characters everywhere, but I didn't recognize them.

After an hour of futile searching, I knelt before the _Honden_ and prayed to the shrine's god.

 _I humbly request thy permission to take residence in thy shrine. I deeply apologize for not knowing thy name, but I do not recognize the kanji, which is frankly quite stupid of me_ (damn it, Sayaka focus!) _but I digress. In return for thy hospitality I shall maintain this shrine to the best of my ability, just as I did during my time in the living world. I beseech thee, hear my prayer and grant me thy hospitality._

I finished the prayer with a bow and then stood up. Based on the sun's position, it was around noon. This meant I had several hours to start the cleanup. I took one look at the state of the shrine and sighed. This would definitely be a long cleanup.

* * *

It took me five days to get the shrine to a decent state of cleanliness. Without 21st century cleaning products, there was only so much I could do. I was more than satisfied. It was impressive how a single person could clean up an entire shrine the way I had. I sat down on the steps of the _Honden_. Dusk was approaching, and as soon as the sun began to set, a thought popped into my head.

I could be taking care of this shrine _alone_ for hundreds of years before anything exciting happened. _You ungrateful brat. You have a stable living environment. That's way more than can be said for most souls here. And yet you're worried about being bored?!_ I sighed to myself. Inner me was right. I was a lot more fortunate than other people in Inuzuri. Boredom was the least of my worries. Besides, I had only been dead for five days. For all I knew, things might start to happen that weren't depicted in the manga or anime. I stood up and brushed myself off. _Well, I'll burn that bridge when I get to it._

That night I had a lucid dream. I was in a pitch black void. There was no sound, save for that of my own breath.

 **"You are a strange one, Seo Mirae."**

My breath caught in my throat at the mention of the name I had in my first life. The one who said it had a voice that reminded me of TV static, one that _should_ have been terrifying yet I actually felt _comfortable_. The voice came from all around me. I couldn't pinpoint exactly where the source was.

 **"You have knowledge of a future that is not yet set in stone. What do you wish to do with it?"**

"I-I don't know," I said truthfully. "Who are you? H-how do you know that name?"

 **"I am the god whose shrine you reside in. The god whose favor you have gained."** A single eye opened in front of me at the voice's words.

A faint memory of the last arc of the manga entered my mind. " _Mimihagi_ ," I whispered.

 **"Indeed. I have looked into your soul, Seo Mirae. I have seen your past. So long as you reside in my shrine, you shall have my blessing."**

What.

 **"I look forward to observing what you plan to do. Farewell,"** Mimihagi said. The eye closed slowly, leaving me alone in the void.

* * *

I woke up the next morning in a cold sweat. I got up and went to the bucket of water I had set up as a pre-plumbing sink and rinsed my face off. "Leave it to gods to be so damn cryptic," I grumbled bitterly.

As I dried off me face with my sleeve, something fell to the floor. My blood ran cold when I looked down to see what it was. At my feet was the hairpin I got for my mother. With shaking hands, I picked it up. I didn't even know soul could take material possessions into Rukongai. _Was this Mimihagi's blessing?_

Perhaps, but I wasn't sure what kind of blessing a _hairpin_ of all things could be. Then again, anime gods were weird. I smiled as she remembered a show called Noragami. Then, my expression hardened. Mimihagi had asked me what I wanted to do with my knowledge of the future. I knew I was sent back here for a reason, but the reason was still a mystery. My current assumption was that I needed to save people. If I were to do that, then I would need to remember everything that happened in the Bleach series. The issue was that I had been sent back _hundreds_ of years before Ichigo was set to be born and there was no way I'd be able to remember everything. The fact that I could barely remember the plot of Noragami, which had been one of my favorite anime, was proof of this. _And your memories of world history may be of use to you. You_ were _a history major before you switched to medicine after all._

I buried my face in my hands at the realization of what I would have to do. I would have to write down _everything_. Well, I didn't have to, but if I were to survive it would definitely would be in my favor. Besides, I had written plenty of notes when I went to school as Mirae. _But what if somebody finds the notes? You can't write them in Japanese or English._

Shit that's right. _You're Korean, you uneducated pinecone._ Oh. That's also right. The modern Korean alphabet wouldn't be created for another few hundred years. By that time, I could figure out how to learn something obscure like Finnish. Nobody speaks Finnish.

I searched around the room for scrolls and some sort of writing utensil. After a while, I found one scroll and a dried out ink pot. No brushes anywhere. _Great_. Very great. I'd have to resort to finger painting. _Or you could use the hairpin._ Or I could use the hairpin.

I took some water from the bucket and poured it in the dried up inkwell. I mixed it in and was rewarded with somewhat fresh ink. I flattened out the roll of paper and dipped the end of the hairpin in the ink. Just as I was about to start writing, I paused. Where would I even start? I didn't know what year it was!

 _It's 1546 AD._

I wrote down 1546 on the top left corner of the scroll. I froze in the middle of writing the 6. That wasn't my thought. That wasn't even my voice. No part of my head could have known what year it was.

"He-hello?" I said tentatively.

 _Hello!_

I squeaked and crawled backwards away from the scroll until I hit the opposite wall.

 _I'm in your head, Sayaka. You can't run from me. Also you cut your hand._

I held up my right hand. _Left hand._ I put down my right hand and held up my left hand. Sure enough there was a thin cut running along my palm. It wasn't bleeding, but it was still a cut. "Th-thanks…"

 _Anytime, homie!_

I laughed nervously. "Ah, who-?"

 _I'm part of Mimihagi-dono's blessing! Along with not having to eat, you have instant contact with you zanpakuto spirit!_

"I've only been here five days how does that even- Wait I don't have to eat?"

 _Nope! Mimihagi-dono basically possessed your stomach so now you don't need food!_

"Huh." Honestly out of everything, a god possessing my stomach is the least weird thing to happen so far. _Weren't you going to play historian?_ "How do you even know what year it is?" _Mimihagi-dono told me._ "Why doesn't he tell me?" _I don't know. Maybe he wanted us to talk or something?_

Slid back to the scroll and picked up the hairpin I had dropped in my surprise. "Alright then, Zanpakuto-chan, where do you suggest I start?" _Did you just assume my gender?_ I sighed. "Am I assuming incorrectly?" She was silent. "I thought so. Now, tell me where to start." _Start with everything you know about the major threats. Like Yhwach and Aizen._ I nodded and decided to start with Aizen. _Ichigo needs to be born so you can't stop him. You realize that right?_ I bite my lip. "Yeah. I can try to save his mom when the time comes though." _Yes, but that would fuck up the story._ "Oh, fuck the story! Losing your mother sucks!" I snap, rolling my eyes. 아이쩬 소스케, I write. _Aizen Sousuke_. I smirk. No way anyone could read this. And by the time they can, I'll have already learned Finnish. _And nobody speaks Finnish._ Exactly. _Smart._ "Thank you."

And so I wrote everything I knew about Aizen, from canon information (backed up by Zanpakuto-chan) to fan theories. By the time I had finished, night had fallen. The entire scroll was filled with Hangul characters. _If you could feel, your hand would be really sore now._ Well, it was a good thing I didn't.

From that day forward, I fell into a routine. In the morning I would make my rounds – cleaning, replacing purification seals, and helping anyone who came by for first aid. Sometimes I would go down to a small stream I discovered nearby to take something as close to a bath as I could. When that was done, I would take a broken broomstick I had found and go through kendo drills (with Zanpakuto-chan's instruction). At night I would write the history of what was yet to come. I had commandeered a large amount of paper from an abandoned building. Nobody questioned the thirteen-year-old girl running through the streets of Inuzuri with stacks of paper. Another one of Mimihagi's blessings, Zanpakuto-chan told me.

After four years of repeating this routine daily (albeit with some days off) I had well over one hundred sheets of paper containing events of the future, from real world history to Bleach universe events (filler arcs and movies included).

 _And you still haven't learned my name_ , Zanpakuto-chan said to me one day while I was sweeping the courtyard. I rolled my eyes. "What good will learning your name be if I don't have a sword?"

 _You'll be super ahead when you join the Academy!_ I rolled my eyes. "And the Academy isn't open to common people yet." _But it will be!_ "Yeah but when?" Silence. I roll my eyes once again. "Alright then, what _is_ your name?"

 _It's nahjfjjskfsabk._

"Point in case," I said smugly.

"Why are you talking to yourself?"

The new voice came from right next to me, startling me considerably. Instinctively, I bring my broomstick back, hitting whomever was there in the abdomen. I heard a pained grunt shortly followed by a thud. Zanpakuto-chan's laugh filled my head. I turned to see a boy my age on the ground at my feet, bent over and clutching his stomach in pain. The broom was dropped as my hands flew to cover my mouth. "I am _so_ sorry! Are you okay?"

A strained "No!" was his response. Zanpakuto-chan's laughter only increased.

I bit my lip and tried to help him up. It took some coaxing, but I was able to get him sitting up. "You startled me," I said. "I'm really sorry."

The boy was about my age, with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. A smirk grew on his face, "So you're the shrine maiden we've been hearing so much about. Do you treat all your visitors like this?"

I scowled. "You shouldn't have snuck up on me to begin with." _What does he mean "we"?_ "And what do you mean 'we'?"

"My friend is coming by. Something about paying his respects," the boy said with a shrug. "He invited me along for some reason, but I'm glad I came now." He winked, and I blinked in confusion.

 _He's flirting. He's sucking at it but he's flirting._ I know he's flirting I'm just confused as to _why_.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Kushinada Sayaka," I said, holding my hand out to shake. The boy looked at my hand strangely. _They don't have handshakes._ Crap. "Sorry about that!" I laugh softly and put my hand down. "I had a bit of a cramp!" _Smooth._ Shut up.

Luckily for me, the boy seemed to buy it. "A pretty name for a pretty girl," he said. I nearly groaned at how cliché that was. "I'm Kyoraku Shunsui. It's nice to meet you, Kushinada-san."

It took all my strength to keep a straight face. Zanpakuto-chan's squeals of _OMGITSOURFIRTSCANONCHARACTER_ were not helpful. "And your friend?" I said tentatively even though I had a good idea as to who it was.

Kyoraku hummed. "I think he'd prefer to introduce himself. He's coming now." He pointed to the Torii, where I was able to see a white haired boy entering the shrine. And if I were a betting girl…

Ukitake? _Ukitake._ Great.

"Juu-chan!" Kyoraku called to the new arrival with a wave. Said arrival waved back and was soon right in front of us.

I stood up and bowed. "Hello. I'm Kushinada Sayaka. I assume you are Kyoraku-san's friend?"

He smiled and bowed back. "Yes. My name is Ukitake Jushiro."

Called it.

Ukitake turned his attention to Kyoraku. "Why did you leave me with those kids? I feel betrayed!"

Kyoraku chuckled. "Well it was hilarious for one. Hey, did you know that broomsticks are particularly dangerous at the hands of beautiful women?"

"I'm sure they're dangerous at the hands of anyone who know what they're doing," I scoffed. Ukitake laughed good naturedly at this, and Kyoraku pouted jokingly.

"How long have you been at the shrine, Kushinada-san?" Ukitake asked politely. I notice that his eyes are green, unlike the brown they are in the anime. I internally pray that I don't have to trash the notes I took on filler anime arcs.

"I've been here about four years I think?" I was unsure of whether the 365-day year had been in Japan forever or if it had been implemented during Western expansion. I had grown during my four years in Rukongai. I wasn't sure if aging as you would in the living world was normal. I had seen people who aged normally and people who didn't.

"Um, what are you two doing out here?" I asked. Based on their clothes it was obvious they were trying to fit in with the poverty of the lower Rukongai districts, but the lack of dirt, rips, and holes in the fabric PLUS the fact they were wearing shoes made it look like they were noblemen trying to look poor. Kyoraku had said Ukitaake wanted to pay respects, and I believed that, as Mimihagi saved him. That didn't explain why they were dressed the way they were. Of course I didn't mention what I knew about Mimihagi, but I did mention how suspicious their clothes were.

When I finished explaining this, both boys looked incredibly startled. I bristled with pride, mainly because I felt like Sherlock Holmes with my observations.

"Well you're a lot smarter than you let on, aren't you?" Kyoraku said and Ukitake nodded in agreement.

Was that a compliment? _I don't know, maybe?_ "Thanks, I guess?" I paused, noticing their nervous expressions. "I won't tell anyone you're here, if that's what you're worried about."

It was what they were worried about, because they both relaxed visibly. They must be really young, I realized, because captains Ukitake and Kyoraku wouldn't believe me that easily. But since their guards were down I figured I might as well ask, "But really, why are you pretending to be Inuzuri citizens?"

The two had a silent exchange before turning back to me. "I don't want to join the Academy, and Jushiro can't because he's sick, so we ran away."

 _Gay_ , Zanpakuto-chan snickered in my head. I ignored her. "And you figured nobody would look for you at a shrine, right? Especially one in Inuzuri." Their silence was all the answer I needed. I had half a mind to bash their heads together for being idiots. "You're welcome to stay here until you get found," I said instead.

And so began the weirdest slumber party ever.

* * *

 **I'm actually surprised I got 4 reviews for the first chapter! So far the feedback has been positive which is AWESOME**

 **User Amatsumi brought up the fact that this fic goes further into the past that most others and believe it or not, I was originally planning to make this take place in the middle of the Heian Dynasty. I forgot my exact reasoning for changing it, but it probably has something to do with me binge watching Nobunaga Concerto.**

 **This chapter probably feels rushed, and that's because it is. Did Sayaka get in contact with her zanpakuto really early? Yes. Yes she did. But that is justified. Did she meet canon characters too early? I actually don't have an answer for that I think it's a matter of personal taste.**

 **I'm aware that this doesn't COMPLETELY fit in with pre-canon history, but I'm trying to get this to turn out the way I want it.**

 **For example: Ukitake and Kyoraku don't meet until the Academy. I justify that using Sayaka's encounter with the Soutaicho ca** **using a butterfly effect. I also know that the Soutaicho made the academy open to anyone who wants to be a shinigami, but I'll blame that on an unrelated butterfly effect.**

 **I'll stop now before I pick apart every inconsistency in this thing because if I did the author's note would be longer than the chapter.**

 **Please feel free to review! I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Bad chapter is bad, but after five months I figured a bad, rushed chapter was better than no chapter at all. Especially with all the people who seem to enjoy this.**

* * *

"Kushinada-san I cleaned the courtyard!" Shunsui declared, bursting into my room. I had been bandaging up the arm of a young boy named Masaru and Shunsui's sudden arrival made me jerk and wrap the bandage too tight. Masaru winced.

"I'm sorry, Masaru-kun," I said, loosening the bandage. I glared at Shunsui, who flinched. "What did I say about bursting in like that?"

Shunsui looked at his feet. "Don't do it…"

I smiled. "Exactly. Thank you for cleaning the courtyard." I finished off Masaru's bandages. "You can go now, Masaru-kun. Try not to get into any more fights, okay?" Masaru nodded then bowed in thanks. After he left, I turned my attention back to Shunsui. "Do you never learn, Shunsui? It's been two years!" In Shinigami standards, that really wasn't all that long. However, I had yet to adjust to the fact that I was nigh immortal.

Shunsui smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I forgot you had a patient."

At that, Jushiro came in holding a bundle of clothes. "I got the dry clothes off the line!"

I smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Jushiro-kun. You can put them in the corner." Jushiro smiled and did as I instructed. Both of their eagerness to please was somewhat amusing to me and sometimes I could hear Zanpakutou-chan laughing in the back of my mind. It wasn't uncommon for them to argue over who would do what I asked. More often than not I found it easier to do it myself, and eventually stopped asking them to do anything that we hadn't agreed to in the beginning.

Shunsui looked deeply offended. "But Jushiro just burst in! Why didn't he get scolded?"

"Because Jushiro didn't burst in while I had a patient," I replied smoothly. "Have any of you heard anything about your disappearance yet?" It was a question I asked regularly. Since they were both from noble families, I would have expected to have heard at least some gossip about it, but so far we had heard nothing.

"Nothing yet," Shunsui said, crossing his arms over his chest. Any playful energy from earlier was gone. "But that's good isn't it? That means we don't have to go back."

I sighed and rubbed my temples. "You do realize you can't stay here forever right? There is such thing as responsibility." Was I being harsh? Some people might say yes, some might say no. At this point, the fate of Seireitei was on the line because if these guys didn't become captains, we would be screwed. It's not that I didn't like their company. It was quite the opposite actually. Jushiro and Shunsui were both really nice and helpful and I would like nothing more than to have them stay. Heck, these guys were my two favorite characters when Bleach was still a fictional universe.

" _Not to mention all the slash fics you read-"_ Zanpakutou-chan said snidely, causing me to blush lightly. The blush faded, however, when I saw the dejected look on Shunsui's face.

"So you don't want us around?" he asked sadly.

I stood up and fixed him with a glare. "Don't you play the martyr. You both know full well that I like having you around. But have you considered that maybe- just MAYBE- your families are worried about you? And that MAYBE they know where you are because of Jushiro's connection to this place?"

It took me a moment to realize that I shouldn't have said that last part. It was something I wasn't supposed to know.

" _You fucked up."_

 _Shut up I know._

"How-how did you-" Jushiro began, but I cut him off.

"Mimihagi told me," I lied. It wasn't like they could disprove it or anything and luckily they seemed to buy it. "I'm sorry for snapping. I just don't want you to do anything you regret. Or in this case regret not doing something."

The three of us looked to the ground in silence. Shunsui and Jushiro had both been so kind and helpful and I felt horrible for making them feel bad. "I'm sorry," I said again. "I should have told you that I knew."

Jushiro's eyes widened. "N-no! It's okay! I understand that you didn't mean to pry or anything. I mean, I didn't tell Shunsui for years…"

This came as a surprise to me. I always had the impression that the two of them were instant besties.

" _According to canon they didn't meet until the Academy,"_ Zanpakutou-chan informed me.

 _Wait what? But they didn't go to the academy! How did they-_

I could feel her shrugging. _"Remember when you met Yamamoto? It may have had something to do with that."_

 _That makes no sense!_

Shunsui cleared his throat. "Um, Kushinada-san?"

I blinked. I had forgotten that I would zone out whenever I spoke to Zanpakutou-chan. "Yeah, I'm fine, just… thinking."

"About what?" Jushiro asked.

I motioned to the three of us. "This whole arrangement. I'm sure you guys would rather be doing anything BUT helping take care of a run-down old shrine. I mean, despite the mortality rate, being a Shinigami doesn't sound that bad. I'd even go so far as to say it could even be _fun_."

"Sayaka-san," Jushiro said with something resembling pity in his eyes, "do you want to be a Shinigami?" Shunsui looked at me with the same question burning in his eyes.

I considered this. I had told myself that this was what _I needed_ to do the whole time I had been residing in the Rukongai. With every Hangul character I wrote. Every time I stared at the future Gotei 13 captains. Every time I pretended not to hear the distant scream of a Hollow when Jushiro and Shunsui clearly did. Every time I spoke to my Zanpakutou spirit. And most of all, every time I woke up in the morning in a body that was not mine in a world that I didn't belong in to begin with. I had been put here for a reason. I knew what I needed to do, but was it what I wanted?

"Sayaka-san?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"What?"

"I want to be a Shinigami," I said, louder this time. "But I can't. So I guess it doesn't matter."

" _You don't know that."_

"You don't know that," Shunsui said softly. "There's a shortage of Shinigami so Old Man Yamamoto might change the rules."

" _The Academy should have been open to everyone from the get go,"_ Zanpakutou-chan said. _"You can blame that on yourself too."_

I'm pretty sure she didn't mean to sound so mean, but I couldn't help biting my lip at her words. "Do you really think so?"

"We've seen you practicing with the broomstick at night. You're really good," Jushiro supplied.

I smiled. "Maybe we could enter together. When the rules are changed."

Shunsui fist pumped. "Yes! We would be unstoppable!"

We probably would be, and that's what made me smile. Much like in Harry Potter or Naruto, we'd be the Golden Trio. It would be amazing, and should I gain a position of power, I'd have a better opportunity to save as many people as possible. I began formulating different strategies for as many possible situations I could think of, taking into account the variables caused by any changes I planned to make. I also seemed to have once again forgotten that that Shunsui and Jushiro were still in the room. It wasn't until Jushiro cleared his throat and Zanpakutou-chan gave me a little mental nudge that I snapped out of it.

"Sorry," I murmured, face flushed. "I was just thinking. Again."

Shunsui scoffed. "You do that a lot, Kushinada-san. We've gotten used to it."

As we laughed, I looked at my two friends and wondered just when everything would go to hell. This was Bleach, after all. Granted nothing really happened unless Ichigo was around, and he was several hundred years away from even being born.

My question was answered a week later with the arrival of a Hell Butterfly.

Jushiro and Shunsui looked equally terrified of the bug, and since I was fairly certain I wasn't supposed to know what a Hell Butterfly was (neither of the boys had told me anything about them), I pretended to be unafraid. This became an increasingly difficult task when it began to speak.

 _ **THIS TANTRUM OF YOURS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH, YOU TWO!**_

Did I say speak? I meant scream bloody murder.

 **YOU HAVE TWO DAYS BEFORE WE SEND THE ELEVENTH DIVISION TO DRAG YOU BACK WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!**

The Hell Butterfly proceeded to scream for another five minutes before bursting into flames and falling to the ground in a pile of ash.

We stood there standing and staring at that pile of ash for a long while before I took my broom and swept it away. "Now," I said, leaning on the broomstick, "would one of you please tell me who that was?"

Shunsui cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. "That would be my mother. She is…"

"Crazy?" I supplied.

"An understatement, but yes."

"Ah," I nodded my head. "So, what are you two going to do?"

Jushiro and Shunsui looked at each other, a silent exchange taking place before turning back to me with a determined look on their faces.

"We're taking you with us," Jushiro declared. "We won't go back without you."

Now, I was touched. I really was. The only issue was that Shunsui's mother said they would be dragged back whether they liked it or not. Meaning, it was highly unlikely that the Eleventh would care. _Especially_ since it was the Eleventh. Assuming they were always as bloodthirsty as they appeared to be in the anime, of course. Based on what I had been told, they definitely were. Upon mentioning this to the two of them, they suddenly got very scared, confirming my hypothesis.

"You should probably get your things together," I said somberly.

"You should too!" Jushiro exclaimed. "Maybe if we can convince them-"

I held up my hand to stop them. "I doubt anything will happen for another few decades or so. We're immortal. It doesn't matter." The dejected look on their faces was too much to handle, to I retreated into my room to continue my documentation. I fell asleep in the middle of it.

In my dream, I faced Mimihagi.

" **Seo Mirae. You have done well."**

Upon facing the god, I fell to my knees in a deep bow. "I thank you Mimihagi-sama. However, you are too kind. I have not accomplished nearly enough."

" **Rise, Seo Mirae."**

I did.

" **You have brought light to my shrine. I will be sad when you go."**

The eye looked almost sad, and I had a strange urge to hug the god. I stopped myself, as I did not want to get killed for my compassion. Instead I said, "I will not be leaving, my lord. As much as I would like to be a Shinigami, my social status makes it impossible."

" **Improbable, yes. Hardly impossible. You will become a Shinigami, for it is my will."**

Well, I could hardly ignore the will of a god, now could I?

"Of course, Mimihagi-sama."

* * *

" _So, you're sure about this?"_ Zanpakutou-chan asked me two days later. I had packed up all my possessions (so basically a few hundred scrolls of paper wrapped in linen) and was sitting on the steps of the shrine between Shunsui and Jushiro, waiting for the Eleventh division to take us away.

The two of them were jumping for joy when I said I'd be going with them. I'm pretty sure Jushiro cried, no matter how much he denied it.

 _I'm sure_ , I replied without hesitation. _I'll miss our talks._

" _Me too, hon. Me too."_

"You're going to love it in Junrinan!" Shunsui was saying. He had been saying it ever since I said I was going. He was in the middle of describing the food (it was the only thing he really missed) when a group of seven Shinigami appeared in the courtyard.

The three of us immediately stilled and went quiet.

"Why are there seven of them?" I croaked fearfully.

" _Meep_ ," Jushiro squeaked.

" _He has such a way with words."_

 _Shut up._

"Ukitake Jushiro and Kyouraku Shunsui?" A tall, muscular Shinigami wearing the Vice captain's badge on his arm spoke gruffly. "We have orders to take you back to Junrinan."

"N-Nishiki-fukutaichou!" Shunsui stammered.

"Who's the chick?" one of the Shinigami asked. "Her reiatsu levels are insane for a civilian."

 _Zanpakutou-chan…_

" _It's not me. You naturally have a lot of reiatsu."_

 _Since when?!_

" _Since always. The boys aren't good at sensing yet, so they haven't noticed."_

Jushiro stood up and stared the fukutaichou in the eye. "This is Kushinada Sayaka, a shrine maiden who has been taking care of us for the last two years. She would like to travel with us and become a Shinigami."

Nishiki shrugged. "Okay."

I did a double take. "What?" I had been expecting at least some resistance.

"Yamamoto started allowing civilians in last year," he explained.

I suddenly felt very, very, foolish.

"So, are we going to leave, or must we wait for you brats to remember how to function?"

"Right!" Shunsui stood up immediately, yanking me up by the arm. "Let's go! Don't want to keep anyone waiting, do we?" He started to laugh nervously, leading me to assume his mother just might have been as crazy as he made her out to be.

I held on tight to my bundle of papers as the Shinigami who commented on my reiatsu grabbed my arm. I looked at Jushiro worriedly.

His expression became extremely concerned. "Wait, you've never done Shunpo before."

Crap.

" _Talk to you later, Saya-chan!"_ Zanpakutou-chan sang just before the group of Shinigami flash stepped away.

I could only describe Shunpo as going down on a rollercoaster, except you're not going down, you're going sideways, and instead of the fall lasting three seconds it lasts ten minutes. After ten minutes we stopped, and I felt like my soul had left my body. I waited for Zanpakutou-chan to remind me that I was a soul and technically had no body, only to remember that I no longer had Mimihagi's blessing and therefore lost contact with her.

The Shinigami let go of my arm, causing me to stumble a bit, but I managed to keep my balance.

"Kushinada-san, are you okay?" Jushiro asked.

I nodded my head furiously, keeping my hands on my knees. "Just peachy," I spat.

The phrase was ignored by everyone, as their attention was turned to a very angry woman in an ornate kimono, marching toward us like she was out for blood. When she started smacking Shunsui around, screaming at him for running away, I realized just who this was.

I suddenly felt very, very, unsafe.

After a minute, someone grabbed the woman's hand mid-smack. "Now, now, Mamiko-san. I'm sure Shunsui-kun is sorry."

It was a man. A very old man that I recognized immediately. I slowly moved behind Jushiro.

"Of course, Yamamoto-soutaichou," Shunsui's mother, Mamiko, lowered her hand. "My apologies for my inappropriate behavior."

Yamamoto turned to the Eleventh division. "Gentlemen, you are dismissed."

With a chorused, "Yes, Soutaichou!" they dispersed.

Yamamoto let out a deep breath, "It seems you are both doing well. However, there were only two of you last time we spoke."

I knew he was referring to me, so I came out from behind Jushiro. I kept my head down and held onto my bundle tighter.

"Would one of you be so kind to explain?"

Shunsui was still recovering from his mother's assault, and Jushiro seemed to have lost all the confidence he had talking to Nishiki.

I spoke up. "My name is Kushinada Sayaka. I am a shrine maiden from Inuzuri. I want to be a Shinigami."

"And how did you come to meet these two?" Mamiko asked, her demeanor completely changing to one much friendlier and motherly.

"She let us stay at her shrine!" Shunsui spoke up. "We'd have probably ended up mugged if it weren't for her."

"You can look up, Kushinada-chan," Yamamoto spoke kindly.

I did so, fearing I would be recognized. However, the soutaichou showed no indication of knowing me, and instead smiled.

"I'm sure we can arrange for you all to be enrolled in the Academy together," he assured me, before turning to Mamiko. "Would it be too much trouble to ask you to take care of this one? I'd like to have a word with the boys."

Shunsui and Jushiro became very pale at Yamamoto's words, but Mamiko smiled warmly, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Of course not! I owe her my idiot son's life!" She proceeded to guide me away from my friends and the soutaicho, ignoring the look of despair on her son's face.

"Will they be okay?" I asked.

Mamiko was quiet for a while, and I was unsure whether or not she heard me until she finally answered, "Most likely, although I'm sure Shunsui would much rather have to deal with me." I paled, and she laughed. "I'll have the servants draw a bath, dear. I doubt you've had a proper one since you arrived."

She was right, so I did not complain.

* * *

 **Once again, I apologize for the poor quality. Unfortunately, not everything can be a gem.**

 **I'd like to address a comment I received regarding the language thing in the last chapter. I clearly offended someone, and for that I apologize. That being said, half of the statements in that comment were false, so I won't talk about that. My reason for talking about the Finnish language the was I did is because it is a REALLY difficult language to learn. Sayaka knows this, and figures that nobody in Japan will encounter anyone from Finland in a long, long time, and the chances of anyone in the Seireitei being able to understand it are extremely slim. If I end up offending anyone in any way, please let me know in the comments so I can fix it and avoid the mistake again.**

 **Finally, I'd like some suggestions for things you would like to happen, whether it be encounters with canon characters, scenarios you like, or romance choices. I'm actually still debating whether or not this will have romance. The reason for the boys trying to impress Sayaka is simple infatuation, as in my head she's pretty, and the boys are hormonal teenagers. This does not mean she'll be romancing either of them, if anyone at all.**

 **With that, I bid you all adieu, and hopefully the next chapter won't take five months!**


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